


it's like you knew me (and all the things i couldn't say)

by jackalopestride



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Don't copy to another site, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2020-09-28 21:35:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20432810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackalopestride/pseuds/jackalopestride
Summary: A series of small drabbles from a non-cult AU involving the Deputy Valerie Holm and John Seed.  Mostly prompted from Tumblr, updates infrequent.





	1. “i’ll kick his ass if you want me to.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: “I’ll kick his ass if you want me to.”

“Hey, Holm! Over here!”

A voice called from near the back of the Spread Eagle, catching Valerie’s ears. She followed it to Deputy Hudson, sitting with Pratt in a small booth, both holding frosted beers. Pratt moved closer to the wall, and Valerie slid in next to him.

Hudson’s smile was wide and bright even in the darker area of the bar. “Glad you could make it!” she said with enthusiasm.

Val smiled back, unsure how much of her demeanor was affected by the alcohol. “Thanks for inviting me,” she said over the music. “How haven’t I heard of this place?”

Hudson shrugged. “New in town and it shows, rookie,” she laughed. “Hey, you should go get a drink and introduce yourself to Mary May at the bar.”

Val agreed, standing back up and shedding her jacket to leave it hanging next to the booth. She wove through the crowd, finding an open spot at the bar to lean over on and flag down the blonde bartender.

The bartender breezed over to her, warmth in her eyes. “Ah, you must be the new Deputy Holm. What can I get you?”

Val flushed a little; if this woman knew who she was, who else did? “Just a Coke, please,” she replied.

The woman smiled widely. “Sure, honey, I’ll be right back.” As quickly as she came, she left, moving down to the other end of the bar.

The person next to Valerie suddenly bumped into her hard enough to spill their drink onto her front. The smell of beer was strong as Val felt the liquid sink into her shirt and jeans.

“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry,” the person said as they turned to face her fully. The man was probably a few years younger than her, barely legal if he was, and Val could tell he’d had too much to drink. “Let me get you out of that shirt so you can dry off,” he said in what she presumed was supposed to be a sultry tone, his hands reaching for the bottom of her top.

Val immediately backed away, swatting at his hands and feeling panic welling up in her chest. “I- I’m fine,” she managed to say, “d-don’t worry about it.” The panic began to overwhelm her, and she vaguely registered the bartender yelling at the man as she ran outside to get away from him. She immediately went out to her truck on the far side of the parking lot, not even registering the cold, and leaned against the driver’s door to close her eyes and de-escalate her panic attack.

Her breathing was starting to get under control when she heard a polite clearing of the throat nearby. She opened her eyes to find a man standing near (but not too close), holding his jacket out to her. Even in the dark, she could tell he had piercing blue eyes, and his dark hair and beard had both been meticulously styled.

“Are you alright? I don’t usually see women standing outside the bar, especially not ones who seem to be in a…predicament such as yourself,” he said.

Val could tell by his speech that he wasn’t from Montana either. She shivered despite herself, the cold of the autumn night chilling her already wet clothing.

The man took a cautious step closer. “Here,” he said, offering his coat again. “Let me walk you inside, Miss…?”

Val stepped towards him, arms wrapped around herself. “Holm. Valerie Holm.”

The man wrapped his jacket around her shoulders and gently rubbed them in an effort to warm her up. “Pleased to meet you, Valerie Holm. I’m John Seed. Now, if I may, why are you standing outside shivering without a jacket?” They began walking, his arm still wrapped around her shoulder.

Val chuckled softly. “Some drunk guy at the bar spilled his drink on me, and his idea of fixing the situation was to suggest taking my shirt off–while reaching for it.”

John winced. “Say the word and I’ll kick his ass for you. Or file a formal complaint with the sheriff’s department.”

“No need,” Val said. “I’m a junior deputy, I’ll handle it.”

“Pardon me, then, I guess I’ll have to call you Deputy Holm instead of Miss.” John pushed the door open, holding it for Val and following her inside. Once in the warmth, she shrugged his jacket off her shoulders and held it out to him.

“Thank you for the jacket, and the offer of ass-kicking,” she said.

John flashed her a brilliant smile. “Of course, Deputy.” He wrapped both hands around hers for a moment. “Offer still stands if you change your mind.” He released her hand and took his jacket. “Look me up if you ever want to hang out with someone who won’t try to get your shirt off in thirty seconds.”

Val smiled, feeling her ears flush. “I may take you up on that.”

His smile grew a little bigger as he disappeared into the crowd.

Val made her way back to the booth with Hudson and Pratt, sinking into the seat with a groan.

“What was that all about?” Hudson asked a little too loudly, a knowing smirk on her face.

Val rolled her eyes. “Drunk guy being an idiot, me overreacting, someone else being a gentleman and making me feel better without crossing any boundaries.”

Hudson waggled her eyebrows, and Val ignored it, swearing when she realized she forgot to get her drink at the bar. She stood up slowly to head back to the bar, but John was a few feet in front of her, a can of Coke and a napkin in his hand.

“Figured you wouldn’t want to go back to the bar,” he explained as he approached. He held out the soda, the napkin wrapped around it.

Val accepted both. “My savior again, Mr. Seed.”

He smiled again, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Have a good evening, Deputy Holm.” Without waiting for a response, he disappeared once more.

Valerie turned back to the table to find Hudson staring after John with a slightly flabbergasted look on her face and Pratt chuckling. As she sat down, Hudson hissed, “You didn’t say that the second guy was _hot_!”

Val shrugged. “Didn’t think that was relevant. Now, are we going to enjoy ourselves or focus on the guy?”

Hudson smiled at Val wickedly. “Oh, we’re _definitely_ focusing on the guy.”

Val picked up her Coke, opened it, and took a drink to avoid speaking, noticing the neat black handwriting on the napkin and flipping it over before Hudson saw. Pratt did notice, caught her eye and winked. Val shot him a warning glance, and he laughed aloud, causing the whole table to begin laughing.


	2. "you're satan."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "You're Satan."

It was a few weeks before Val had the courage to call John Seed, but fate got to her first.

She was about to head home for the weekend when a familiar bearded man pushed through the doors of the sheriff’s department, blue eyes searching the room. Whitehorse had already left, as had Pratt; Hudson was in the back room so Val stood up and approached.

“How can I help- oh, Mr. Seed.”

He smiled warmly. “Deputy Holm, it’s good to see you again.”

She felt her ears flush, grateful that her hair was down. “You, too. What brings you in today?” She took half a second to note that his suit was well-fitted, charcoal grey with a blue shirt and faintly patterned tie.

John’s smile faded. “That is a matter between my client, myself, and Sheriff Whitehorse, unfortunately. Is the sheriff still here?”

Val shook her head. “No, he’s already left for the weekend. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Well, if the sheriff is out, then I’m finished with my duties for the day.” He paused, and she could see the wheels in his head turning. “Deputy?”

She replied, “Yes?”

John smiled again. “Would you like to go to dinner tonight? There’s a lovely little diner close to the Henbane with fresh fish.”

Val was surprised at his straightforward question, but she couldn’t stop herself from answering, “That sounds lovely.”

“Wonderful,” he replied. “If you don’t mind, you could send me your address, and I’ll come to pick you up.”

She nodded, pulling her cell from her pocket and sending the address to his number.

“Good to see you kept my number,” he chuckled as he checked his phone.

Val met his eye with a cheeky smile. “Well, when someone is as much a gentleman as you were, it’s hard to forget.”

John’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Maybe I’ll just talk to every person who’s had a beer spilled on them, then.”

Val scoffed and swatted gently at his arm. “Oh, you’re Satan.”

John dropped his voice. “Don’t tell my brother,” he said with a wink. “I’ll pick you up at seven?”

“Sounds good to me,” Val said. “See you then.”

John’s smile was contagious, and he turned to leave. When his (very nice) car had left the parking lot, Val became extremely aware of the intense stare from across the room. She turned slowly to see Hudson standing at the door to the backroom.

“_When did you get his number?!”_


	3. please don't lie to me

The dusk was starting to fade into the night sky when John pulled up to the modest house in his truck; he had noted before leaving that the new deputy lived in one of the less-developed parts of the county, out in the reaches of the Henbane region.His headlights briefly illuminated the front of the house, and for a moment he could have sworn he saw the door was open.He turned off the vehicle too quickly to be sure.

His boots kept him steady in the dirt, but his heart tried its best to shake him.Was it excitement or something more sinister?John stepped up to the porch, and his stomach dropped when he realized that the door was in fact open.He immediately drew his concealed pistol from the holster under his jacket, grateful that he had chosen to grab it before leaving the ranch.

John nudged the door open with the corner of his boot, staying against the wall next to the door.“Deputy Holm?” he called out.He waited a few beats before deciding to head inside.

The front room was cozy, only a couple boxes left to unpack, but the room was overshadowed by the chaos that had apparently transpired.The items that presumably had been on top of the coffee table were strewn across the floor, and a chair in the adjacent dining room lay on its side.

“Deputy?” John called again.

He barely heard the thump from the ceiling above him.He quickly lowered his gun, taking the stairs in front of him two at a time, and rounded the corner to see the bedroom door wide open, the deputy’s form crumpled on the floor.He ran to her side, kneeling and holstering his gun before taking her hand in his.She had a number of defensive wounds on her arms, her cheek was swollen, and her left eye was starting to blacken from sustaining a hit.

"Valerie...who did this to you?" John's voice trembled with barely-concealed anger.He was acutely aware of how tight his grip was on her hand, ensuring that he didn't hurt her any further.

She coughed slightly, trying to sit up.John slipped his other hand under her back to help her.“Fuckin'...break-in? Didn’t recognize him...” Her eyes didn’t meet his, her expression twisted in pain.

John took a second to sweep his eyes across the room.Nothing of value had been taken, it looked like; there was a small TV on a stand across from the bed, what appeared to be a jewelry box sat unopened on her dresser, and he could see a laptop bag on a chair in the corner.

“Valerie,” he said quietly.“Please don’t lie to me. Your valuables are still here.”

She pulled her hand from his, wrapping it around her middle and bracing herself with her other hand.“It- it was that guy from the bar. From the night we met? The one who tried to t-take my-“

“Yeah,” John breathed, trying to spare her from reliving the entire experience.“You said he was college aged?”

Valerie nodded, her lips pressed in a thin line.

John pulled his cell phone out and dialed the sheriff’s department.Valerie tried to protest, but she deferred when John held a hand up to stop her.“Yes, hello, Deputy Pratt, I’d like to report a break-in and a physical assault on Deputy Holm.” He paused before listing her address.“I will take Deputy Holm to a physician, no need to send emergency medical services.”He paused again, listening as Pratt insisted they stay put to take a statement.“Deputy, I understand you need to take a statement, but she needs medical attention without the exorbitant bill that accompanies an ambulance.We will be at the county clinic.”John hung up the phone without letting Pratt finish."Come on, Valerie, let's get you to the doctor."

She nodded and let John help her up.They slowly made their way out to his truck, John ensuring that she was fully seated before closing the door.He circled the truck, climbed in, and started the car.He switched the radio off as soon as it started to play, and left the air conditioning on for Valerie to adjust as she pleased.

"You don't have to do this," Valerie said quietly.

John pressed his lips together as he considered how to reply."Of course I do," he settled on."It's only right as your date that I take care of you, whether it's treating you to dinner or taking you to the doctor."

Valerie chuckled next to him."Does that mean this is still a date?"

John smiled, glancing over at her."It's a memorable first date, wouldn't you agree?"

Her smile was radiant."You aren't wrong about that."

They spent the next few minutes silent before John said, "Well, at least we know I'll be a witness in this case instead of a lawyer.It'll be a nice change of pace."

"Are you the go-to defense lawyer around here?" She asked.

John laughed, "Only because I'm pretty much the only one in the area."

"That's one way to get business."

"With Sharky Boshaw living in the county, absolutely."

Valerie laughed at that."Hey, he isn't a bad guy once you get to know him."

"Of that I have no doubt, it's just hard to change a first impression when his was 'the idiot with a flamethrower that set my defendant's property on fire.'"

Valerie chuckled as they pulled into the clinic.John took a second to look at her properly under the car interior lights.Her eye was swelling considerably now, the color a stark contrast to her fair skin.

"That bad, huh?" She asked.

John blinked back to himself."Sorry," he said sheepishly."I didn't get a good look earlier."

"It's okay, I've been through a lot worse," she said offhandedly."Should we go inside?"

He nodded, opening the door of his truck and circling it to open hers.He offered a hand to help her down, her small hand warm in his.He let his hand drop back to his side, surprised when she reached out to take it in both of hers.

"It may be a less-than-ideal first date," Valerie said, looking up at him, "but I'm glad it's with you."

John smiled."I'm doing my best."


End file.
